Earlier this year we got to grips with Argenthorns album ‘The Ravening’ via Avantgarde music and its symphonic black metal took us off into a dark fantasy world and created a real impact. Now Finnish musician Lord Vrăjitor, also of acts such as Old Sorcery and Warmoon Lord is back with an entirely new project. As the name suggest Vrajitor’s Tenebrarium takes us down shadowy paths and allows its composer to explore his love of all things Italian, specifically the soundtrack art of the golden era movies from the 70’s and 80’s. Naturally the names of the greats such as Goblin, Fabio Frizzi, Bruno Nicolai, and Riz Ortolani are cited here and we are off to a world of spectral horror and Giallo clad mystery. Dare to step inside?
As close devotees of these sounds will be aware there are no shortage of musos keen to go down this route and genre enthusiasts hit us up with regularity. However, its always interesting hearing their ideas especially if you are a lover of the movies themselves. Most things of this ilk are instrumental and that’s the way it should be but here Vrăjitor has collaborated with a seemingly unnamed enchantress who adds some mystical and witchy vocal lines on several of the numbers here. Whispering over the synth work of orchestral opener ‘Et Mors Pallida Venebit’ she adds atmosphere as things expand into louder spell-casting as though Mater Tenebrarum resides over this kingdom herself. Plenty of shapes are warbled out by retro key-work on ‘Rubedo’ and with some pompous eccentricity the prog rock sounds of bygone times are never far away. Complete with necessary dramatic flair it’s enough to get you grooving and wondering what else is going to crawl out the woodwork next. ‘Black Frog’ brings twisty psyche to the fore, complete with flutes before we traverse deep into a deep dark pestilential forest on ‘Lucus Horribilem Atque Pestilentem’ and meet up with our vocalist as the music meanders through wooded trails. Further clues are found as song titles change from Latin to Italian and the sombre sounds of our storyteller’s narration unveil she is a winged maiden under a curse.
Moods change as we continue. At times sadness prevails such as on ‘Venus In The Cloister’ oozing a vibe of solitude before a spectral saxophone wails over Volantes Castrum’ and things move into jazz-laden funky vibes. This one certainly keeps you on toes as it breaks out and boogies away into a fancy-free-frolic complete with upbeat violin sounds and a real theatrical bent. As spoken word parts emerge observant listeners will hear a bit of magic straight out of Suspiria in the melody. It feels like the music has been written around a story as things progress. Perhaps one was written and the music formed around it. Bells toll, a door creaks open and footsteps echo in a dungeon realm but I’m slightly bemused as ‘Exorcismus’ beats out a “Mission Impossible” rhythm at odds from the Italiano essence of things which I have found a real distraction and not a particularly welcome one if I am completely honest. Small complaint aside I enjoyed this album and the visions it summoned and am sure lovers of progressive Italian horror soundtracks will get a kick out of it too.
(7/10 Pete Woods)
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